Bees must be taken seriously. Stings can be life threatening. If you or a family member have been stung, immediately contact Poison Control at (602) 253-3334 to determine whether the sting can be managed at home or needs medical attention.
Parents, take a moment to tell your children what to do if there are bees in the area.
A swarm is a small colony looking to establish a new colony. It may appear as a cloud of bees or a group formed like a ball clinging to a branch. Swarming usually occurs from February through May, and again in October. A swarm can be as large as 60,000 or more bees. If you notice a swarm that is not attacking, walk slowly and quietly away from it and find shelter in a building or vehicle.
Do not try to remove the bees yourself, and do not call 9-1-1 unless the bees are attacking and someone is in a life-threatening situation. Contact a bee removal expert for swarm and hive removal.
Residents should regularly inspect their home and yard for signs of bees. Swarms look for cavities in trees, eaves and walls as potential nesting sites. These openings should be filled or covered with a solid cover or fine mesh screening. Bees are also attracted to debris such as tires, wood piles or overturned flower pots. When removing any debris, always look before you place your hand under or into something. Use the same caution when working around air conditioners, coolers, electrical boxes or water meters.
The Chandler Fire Department utilizes a Bee Emergency Response Team (BERT) to respond in bee attack situations. When called to a bee-related incident, BERT trained firefighters provide aid to victims, attempt to locate the source of the attack and reduce the threat of injury to residents. Team members will also instruct homeowners how to contact a bee removal expert.
If bees have made their home in the water meter, water valve boxes or around a fire hydrant, the City will take responsibility for their removal. This is the only instance in which the City will remove non-threatening bees on private property. Contact Water Distribution at (480) 782-3700.
Normally, people and bees can coexist, however, with the migration of aggressive Africanized honey bees into the Valley in recent years, experts expect to see an increase in bee incidents. Bee attacks usually occur when bees are swarming or if they are protecting their hive. If someone tries to remove the bees or a hive, agitates the bees by swatting at them, or startling them with the noise from power equipment such as lawn mowers or blowers, a stinging emergency can happen.